If you have a disability that is severe enough to prevent you from working, you may be facing significant financial stress. After all, being unable to work doesn’t mean that the bills stop coming in. If you find yourself in this situation, you may wonder if you are entitled to disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and how much you might receive if your claim is approved. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits that might be available and how they are calculated.
What Benefits Are Available?
The Social Security Administration has two different disability benefit programs, and eligibility will depend upon an applicant’s particular circumstances. The two types of benefits are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. In order to receive either type of benefit, an applicant must provide evidence to establish that:
- The applicant has a qualifying medical condition: In order to determine if a particular medical condition qualifies for disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will often consult its listing of impairments, otherwise known as the Blue Book. This guide contains numerous conditions as well as their accompanying symptoms. Those who can provide sufficient medical evidence to establish that they have a condition in the Blue Book will typically increase their chances of being approved for benefits, although having a condition in the Blue Book is not necessarily required. Those who do not have a condition in the Blue Book may simply need to provide additional medical evidence regarding their condition and how it affects their everyday life.
- The condition has rendered the applicant disabled for one continuous calendar year or more: This requirement is fairly self-explanatory. If a condition is disabling but resolves in less than one year, an individual may seek short-term disability benefits from other sources but will not be approved for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.
Approval for SSDI and SSI benefits depends upon these conditions being met. In addition, those seeking SSDI benefits must be “insured.” To the Social Security Administration, being “insured” means that an applicant worked at a job for a sufficient length of time, through which they regularly paid a portion of their salary in employment taxes to the Social Security system.
Those who seek SSI benefits need not be insured. Instead, in order to receive SSI, an applicant must have income and resources below a specific annual limit established by the Social Security Administration. This is because the SSI program is funded by general revenue and is intended specifically to help lower-income individuals.
How Are Benefits Calculated?
Because SSDI and SSI benefits are funded differently and intended for different sets of beneficiaries, they are also calculated differently. SSDI benefit calculations can seem complicated, but as a general rule, the Social Security Administration calculates these benefits using a formula based on the applicant’s average lifetime earnings throughout their work history. SSI benefits, by contrast, are generally calculated on the basis of an individual’s income and resource level. As a general rule, the lower an applicant’s income and resources, the higher the SSI amount will be, up to the annual limit established by the Social Security Administration.
Regardless of how benefits are calculated, it’s important to understand that the benefit amount is typically not based on the particular disability itself. Other than for rare exceptions (such as blindness, for example), this is the general rule. It is also essential to understand that each type of benefit has a monthly maximum. In 2025 the maximum monthly SSDI benefit is $4,018. The maximum monthly SSI benefit in 2025 is $967 per individual and $1,450 per couple.
When Are Payments Made?
Typically, SSDI payments are made on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month. The particular Wednesday on which a payment is made is usually based on the recipient’s birthdate. Those born on the 1st-10th usually receive payments on the second Wednesday, those born on the 11th-20th receive payments on the third, and those born on the 21st-31st receive payments on the fourth.
SSI benefits, by contrast, are not paid on the basis of birthdate. Instead, SSI payments are usually paid on the first of each month. If the first of the month falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payment will usually be made on the preceding business day.
Call Disability Experts Today
At Disability Experts, we know that the law concerning disability benefits can often seem complex and overwhelming. We also know that when you’re attempting to adapt to life with a disability, the last thing you need is to worry about how you’ll pursue the benefits you need and deserve. Instead, you can leave those matters to us and trust that you’re putting your case in good hands when you do. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to helping you soon.